Football training sled



P 9, 1953 A. R. YOUNG m- AL FOOTBALL TRAINING SLED 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 3, 1951 INVENTORS WJDMZQZ A. R. YOUNG ET AL FOOTBALL TRAINING SLED Sept. 29, 1953 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed July 3, 1951 o mm x Patented Sept. 29, 1953 FOOTBALL TRAINING SLED Arthur R. Young, Springfield, Mass., and John Dell Isola, Hanover, N. H.

Application July 3, 1951, Serial No. 235,032

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in football practice apparatus for use in teaching, training and developing football players, and more particularly to a device commonly referred to as a charging sled.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and advantageous apparatus by means of which football players may be taught, trained and developed in the art of football maneuvers. I

A further object of the invention is to produce a novel charging devic that is not confined to the teaching, training or developing of individuals, but which is especially useful in carrying out mass tactics, resulting in' the development of precision timing and team work.

A still further object of the invention is to permit the ready comparison of players in action and instantly to reveal carelessness, laziness, lack of ability, lack of spirit, or lack of condition of any player.

Other objects of the invention are to train players to line up quickly, to charge in unison, or for some to delay and for some to charge, to charge hard and low, to train players to pull out of the line and lead interference after running around the other linemen, and to develop speed, strength, and agility in the players individually and as a group.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a plurality of filled dummies arranged on a frame so as to compress upon being hit by a charging player and then to remain compressed upon the continued push of the player and then to move over the ground on runners offering heavy resistance to the charging players. An arrangement has been Worked out whereby a bell or light will indicate what players are charging and which are not. This latter feature overcomes the previous objections to a group trainer such as this wherein it has been chronically complained of that some of the players would not extend themselves since there was no available way to detect their laziness.

With the foregoing, other objects of this invention will appear from the embodiments of the invention which by way of example are described in the following specifications and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective'vlew of the entire sled from th rear.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the dummies from the front. I

Figure 3 is a front view of one of the dummy supporting members with the dummy and box removed.

Figure 4 is a side view of one of the dummy supporting members with the supporting box and with the dummy broken away.

Figure 5 is a side view of a portion of one of the supporting members, the box, and the dummy.

Figure 6 is a top view of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a wiring diagram of the bell box and the contacts of the support box.

Referring .to the drawings l represents the runners, and 2 represents the struts or braces. These struts 2 are connected between the girder '3 which is fastened or bolted to each runner l, and the vertical supporting members 4. In the embodiment shown, an L shaped girder 5 is fastened to the runners I and to each of the vertical supporting members 4. A top girder or brace 6 is connected near the upper portion of the vertical members 4 and above the struts 2. This girder 6 not only acts as a brace but it also is a spacer member. This above description can be more easily ascertained by reference to Figure 1.

In Figure 3 one of the vertical support members 4 is shown. Mounted on each side of this member is a stirrup or supporting clamp 8. By referring now to Figures 4 and 6, it can be ascertained that a box means comprising a side portion 9 and a front portion I0 is mounted within the stirrups 8. This box means is further supported by a compression member H which is movably fastened to the front portion H] by means of a hinge means I2. A wedge means I3 is sandwiched between the compression member H and vertical support member 4. Thesethree members are rigidly fastened together by bolts I l.

The wedge means I3 is preferably made of spruce wood whilethe compression member H is of oak. It has been found that this combina tion provides both the necessary strength to stand up under adverse conditions, but also enables a large amount of tension to be exerted upon the member ll without the concern of inury.

Mounted between the member l and the front section [0 are two springs [5 of the coil type. These springs maintain thebox means, members 9 and [0 forward of the member 4 as well as maintaining the surfaces of IO and II apart.

Between these springs and slightly higher as can be seen by reference to Figure '7' are a pair of electrical contacts l6. These contacts are connected by wire l8 to a bell box I! which is mounted on the member II. In the bell box are a battery l9 and a bell 20, which are in a series electrical circuit with the contacts I l An incandescent lamp 2| is shown connected in par allel with the bell 20 and could be used either with the bell or without it, by changing the wir-- ing to include or exclude either of these signalling means from the circuit.

Figures 5 and 6 show in more detail how the dummy or filled sack 1 is mounted to the box means 9 and 10. A long c type clamp 22 is used on either side of the dummy to maintain it rigidly against the sides 9 of the box means- 9 and II]. It is to be noted that the dummy 1 has backing members 23 which are part thereof. Thes members are designed to fit around. the box so that the clamp 22 will perform its func tion efllciently. Other methods of mounting the sack I to the box means can be employed and would not be outside the scope of this invention.

The designation [4 indicates a nut and bolt for maintaining the various members in connected relationship. Wood screws 24 are used to maintain the stirrups 8 in locked relationship with the supporting member 4.

In operation the football players line up against the dummies 1. Upon word from the coach they charge against the dummies I. Since the runners I offer resistance to the ground, at first only the box assembly 9 and III will move in the stirrups 8 closing the member ID with the member ll upon the hinge I2 and compressing springs l5 and closing the contacts l6. Upon closing these contacts 16 current flows from the battery is through the bell 20 or light 2| through the contacts l6 and back to the battery I9. The bell 20 will be energized and continue to ring so long as different colored lights for various situations. It i is also contemplated that a whistle or horn might well be employed instead of the bell. Upon the continued push or charge of the players, the runners I will overcome the resistance of the ground and the entire assembly will move. If one of the players does not push equally with the others his light will become extinguished or his bell will stop ringing since the contacts I6 will notremain closed.

In Figure 6 it is to be noted that the springs l5 cover the exterior of a piston 3| and cylinder 30 assembly. When the spring [5 is compressed due to the compression of members 10 and H, the piston 3| enters the cylinder 30. This arrangement maintains the spring rigid and allows it to move only in one direction. The dimensions of the piston and cylinder are contemplated to enable the faces of the contacts 16 to make.

The wedge 13 enables the compression member l I to move laterally within limits toward the member 4. Since member I!) is movably connected to member I l by the hinge [2, the movement of l I and [0 will impart movement of member 9 through the stirrups 8. As soon as there is no pressure on member H, the wedge 13 with its inclined surface will return member H to its original position imparting this returning movement to members 9 and Ill.

The dimensions of the various features have been exaggerated in the drawings to give a clearer picture of the invention.

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the precise arrangement of the parts shown and described, as detail of construction may be modified and rearranged without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A charging apparatus comprising a plurality of spaced runners, girder means for spacing the runners at their rear portions, a frame, strut means between the frame and the girder means for bracing the frame, said frame comprising a plurality of flat vertical support members, a pair of horizontal girder means connected to the vertical members, stirrup means on each side of said support members, three sided boxes having two open edges, said edges mounted within the stirrup means, compression members fastened at the top of said support members, said boxes movably connected to said compression members, dummies mounted on one face of the box, spring means for maintaining a second face of the box and the compression member apart, a signalling circuit, electrical contact means mounted on said compression member and on the inside of said box for energizing said signalling circuit, and signalling means including a separate signallin box mounted 'on each compression member for indicating the open or closed position of the compression member with respect to the face of the box.

2. A charging sled comprising a plurality of spaced runners, girder means for spacing the runners at their rear portions, a frame, strut means between the frame and girder means for bracing the frame, said frame comprising a plurality of fiat vertical support members, a pair of horizontal girder means connected to th vertical members, stirrup means on each side of said support members, box means having edges mounted within the stirrup means, compression members movably connected to said box means whereby the box will move freely within predetermined limits in the stirrup means, and dummies mounted on said box means, said dummies moving said box means upon being struck.

3. In a charging apparatus having a frame and a plurality of filled sacks mounted thereon, a box means, said box means comprising a vertical front section and two vertical side sections, a vertical member of said frame being opposite said front vertical section and having mounted on its sides stirrups means, said vertical side sections supported by and passing through said stirrup means, a compression member connected near the top of said vertical frame member, means for movably connecting said compression member to said vertical front section, and spring means connected between said compression member and said front vertical section whereby the compression member and the vertical front section of said box means are maintained apart.

4. In a charging apparatus as described in claim 3, a pair of contact means, one mounted on said compression member and the other on said vertical front section of said box means, a source of electrical current, and a signalling means in circuit with said contacts and mounted in a box upon said compression member whereby when said box and compression member are under compression the contacts will close and the signalling means will be energized.

5. A charging apparatus for football or the like comprising a plurality of spaced runners, a first horizontal girder connected to said runners, a frame comprising a second horizontal girder connected to said runners, vertical flat support members connected at the bottom to said second hoii'-'-' aeaasra zontal girder, and a third horizontal girder connected at the top to said fiat support members, a plurality of brackets in the shape of flat stirrups, one of each said brackets being mounted on each lateral side of said vertical support member, a plurality of three sided boxes having two open edges, said open edges fitting within said brackets, a plurality of wedges, one wedge mounted at the top of each of said flat support members and facing in the opposite direction from the open edges of each of said three sided boxes, a flat compression member affixed near its top to the inclined surfaces of each of said wedges, a plurality of hinges, each hinge for movably connecting the bottom of each of said flat compression members to the inside surface of said three sided boxes, a plurality of filled dummies connected to the outside surfaces of each of said boxes, a plurality of piston-cylinders, each connected between each flat compression member and each inside surface of said box, a plurality of springs circumscribing each piston-cylinder assembly for maintaining the support member and the inside surface of said box apart.

6. A charging apparatus for football or the like as recited in claim 5 comprising a plurality of pairs of electric contacts each pair mounted one on the flat compression member and one on the inside surface of said box, a plurality of electrical boxes, each mounted on each flat compression member, a bell inside each box, a source of electric potential inside each box, said bell, source of electric potential and contacts connected in a series circuit whereby when said contacts close, said bell rings.

ARTHUR R. YOUNG. JOHN DELL ISOLA.

Name Date Gardenhour June 26, 1951 Number 

